Latest news with #2DayFM
Sky News AU
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Sky News AU
'I understand': Mel Greig breaks silence on former radio co-host Michael Christian's decision to sue Southern Cross Austereo over Royal prank fallout
Radio host Mel Greig has spoken out on her former co-host Michael Christian's decision to sue their employer at the time over claims he was abandoned in the aftermath of a prank call that triggered international headlines and a tragic loss of life. Greig and Christian were co-hosts on Sydney's 2Day FM when, on December 4, 2012, they made a prank call to London's King Edward VII Hospital, where Princess Catherine, then pregnant with Prince George, was being treated for severe morning sickness. The pre-recorded call involved the pair impersonating King Charles III and Queen Elizabeth II using exaggerated British accents. Nurse Jacintha Saldanha, believing the call to be genuine, transferred them to another nurse who disclosed private medical information. Days later, Ms Saldanha took her own life, sparking a wave of public outrage and intense media scrutiny. Christian has now launched legal action in the Federal Court, alleging former employers Southern Cross Austereo (SCA) failed to support him or provide a safe workplace. His lawyers argue both he and Greig were left to face "relentless public vitriol, harassment and abuse" following the incident. Breaking her silence on the lawsuit, Greig issued a statement via Instagram Stories. "I understand why Michael is choosing to go down this path," she wrote on Tuesday. "Whilst there are various reasons we may never be able to speak our entire truth on all that occurred, I do hope that the continued attention on this tragic incident results in substantial reforms in the way media produce content and support their staff, so that something like this never happens again. "My thoughts and support as always are with the Saldanha family." Greig also shared a screenshot of Lewis Capaldi's song 'Survive', adding: "This @lewiscapaldi it's always worth the fight". Two hours later, she posted again to thank friends and followers for their support. "Today has absolutely knocked me around," she said. "For those who think that this was a two-day media story. No. 12 years later here we are." Following the tragic incident, Greig struggled to re-enter the radio industry and now works in public relations and as a columnist for Yahoo and Mamma Mia. In 2013, she sued SCA for failing to provide a safe workplace. As part of the settlement, the broadcaster publicly stated she was not responsible for the decision to air the hoax call and had in fact advised against broadcasting it in its original form. In 2023, Greig revealed she continues to live with the psychological aftermath of the event. "I thought everybody was trying to kill me. For three weeks I was so paranoid, I was hallucinating. I'd wake up and see people standing at the end of my bed," she told 9Honey. "I suppressed it and suppressed it, and then I had an absolute mental breakdown. I ended up in a mental health recovery house for a week, and I was diagnosed with delayed PTSD. "Back then, I didn't care if people did want to kill me, because I felt I deserved it. But now that I want to live, I'm reliving that trauma in a different way." Meanwhile, Christian, who had joined 2Day FM just two days before the prank, remained with the network for several years before being made redundant. He has since filed suit in the Federal Court. Court documents allege SCA failed to take "immediate public accountability" for the prank and instead "allowed Mr Christian and Ms Greig to be left exposed to relentless public vitriol, harassment and abuse, including death threats". "The radio presenters were left by SCA as the convenient fall guys and scapegoats for SCA management decisions and non-compliance," the documents state. Mr Christian's legal team claims he delayed taking action because SCA had assured him it would help restore his reputation- a promise he says was never fulfilled. If you or anyone you know needs help: Lifeline: 13 11 14 Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636 Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800
7NEWS
a day ago
- Entertainment
- 7NEWS
Australian radio host Michael Christian sues radio network over 2012 royal prank call that ended in tragedy
An Australian radio host at the centre of a tragic prank call is suing Southern Cross Austereo over his treatment in the aftermath of the incident. Michael Christian was presenting radio show 2Day FM with Mel Greig in December 2012 when they made an on-air phone call to King Edward VII Hospital in London. At the time of the call, the then-Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton was in hospital being treated for hyperemesis gravidarum —severe morning sickness. Christian, who had only worked at 2Day FM for two days, alleges the radio show's production team had ordered him and Greig to impersonate King Charles and Queen Elizabeth II to get information about the Duchess' condition. Nurse Jacintha Saldanha answered the radio's call and, after falling for the hoax, transferred the radio hosts through to the Duchess' nurse. Saldanha was found dead five days later after taking her own life, leaving a note blaming the radio stunt and the hospital's handling of the situation for her death. Her tragic death led to widespread backlash against the radio hosts and broadcaster. Thirteen years after the incident, Christian has filed a lawsuit in federal court claiming the broadcaster failed to provide support when the prank spiralled into a global scandal. According to court documents, Christian had been assured that Southern Cross Austereo would 'step in' if on-air content had crossed the line. His lawyers allege the company allowed him and co-host Greig to be 'left exposed to relentless public vitriol, harassment, and abuse, including death threats'. 'The radio presenters were left by SCA as the convenient fall guys and scapegoats for SCA management decisions and non-compliance'. Christian has also said that the prank breached the Australian Communication and Media Authority code of practice. Court documents say the delay in legal action being pursued was due to the broadcaster promising Christian that they would restore his reputation and rebuild his career. Christian's lawyers state the firm failed in this promise by not providing meaningful health support, not starting a public relations campaign to rebuild his brand, and failed to offer any opportunities or pay rises to reward his loyalty to the company. The legal action follows Christian being made redundant by SCA in February, which he alleges was not genuine as 'SCA still requires (his) former role to be performed'. Michael Christian is seeking penalties, compensation for economic loss, and damages. Southern Cross Austereo has yet to respond to the lawsuit, which is awaiting a federal court date, but provided a short statement to media outlets regarding the case. 'As the matter is currently before the courts, and out of respect for the legal process and the privacy of those involved, it would be inappropriate for us to comment at this time,' a spokesperson for SCA said.
Sky News AU
2 days ago
- Sky News AU
Royal prank radio host Michael Christian sues broadcaster SCA 13 years after hoax call to hospital led to nurse's suicide
A radio DJ who made a hoax call to a hospital caring for the Princess of Wales, which resulted in the suicide of a nurse, has blamed his bosses for the prank. Radio hosts Michael Christian and Mel Greig were presenting on Sydney's 2Day FM in December 2012 when they called the private King Edward VII hospital in London as part of a prank. Catherine was pregnant with her first child Prince George at the time, and being treated for severe morning sickness. The duo put on exaggerated British accents to impersonate Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles and convinced nurse Jacintha Saldanha to transfer the call to Catherine's nurse. The second nurse spent about two minutes speaking to the radio hosts about Catherine's condition. Ms Saldanha later took her own life after the audio was broadcast by 2Day FM, which is owned by Southern Cross Austereo (SCA). The prank and Saldanha's suicide sparked international outrage, but SCA ultimately faced no legal action over the tragic incident. Mr Christian stayed on at the broadcaster but has now pursued legal action against SCA in Federal Court after being made redundant in February. According to court documents, Mr Christian's lawyers argue that SCA left their client and Ms Greig to face vitriol and harassment over the prank. 'SCA did not immediately take public accountability for the incident, but rather allowed Mr Christian and Ms Greig to be left exposed to relentless public vitriol, harassment and abuse, including death threats,' Mr Christian's lawyers said in the documents. 'The radio presenters were left by SCA as the convenient fall guys and scapegoats for SCA management decisions and non-compliance.' Mr Christian's lawyers claim their client did not pursue action earlier because the broadcaster had promised to help rehabilitate his reputation after the tragedy. Meanwhile, Ms Greig sued SCA for failure to provide a safe workplace, which was settled in December 2013. As part of the settlement, SCA made a public statement that Ms Greig was not responsible for the decision to air the hoax call and had even suggested that it be edited before broadcast. Ms Greig later told BBC Newsnight that Ms Saldanha's tragic death will stay with her for the rest of her life. 'I will always feel at fault to an extent, because I was in that prank call and I was mentioned in Jacintha's suicide note,' she said. 'She thought of me before she took her own life – how can you not feel guilty and blame?' If you or anyone you know needs help: Lifeline: 13 11 14 Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636 Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800
Perth Now
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Radio presenter sues network over 2012 prank call gone wrong
An Australian radio host at the centre of a tragic prank call is suing Southern Cross Austereo over his treatment in the aftermath of the incident. Michael Christian was presenting radio show 2Day FM with Mel Greig in December 2012 when they made an on-air phone call to King Edward VII Hospital in London. At the time of the call, the then-Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton was in hospital being treated for hyperemesis gravidarum — — - severe morning sickness. Christian, who had only worked at 2Day FM for two days, alleges the radio show's production team had ordered him and Greig to impersonate King Charles and Queen Elizabeth II to get information about the Duchess' condition. Nurse Jacintha Saldanha answered the radio's call and, after falling for the hoax, transferred the radio hosts through to the Duchess' nurse. Saldanha was found dead five days later after taking her own life, leaving a note blaming the radio stunt and the hospital's handling of the situation for her death. Her tragic death led to widespread backlash against the radio hosts and broadcaster. Thirteen years after the incident, Christian has filed a lawsuit in federal court claiming the broadcaster failed to provide support when the prank spiralled into a global scandal. Nurse Jacintha Saldanha answered the radio station's prank call. Credit: Supplied According to court documents, Christian had been assured that Southern Cross Austereo would 'step in' if on-air content had crossed the line. His lawyers allege the company allowed him and co-host Greig to be 'left exposed to relentless public vitriol, harassment, and abuse, including death threats'. 'The radio presenters were left by SCA as the convenient fall guys and scapegoats for SCA management decisions and non-compliance'. The radio hosts behind the call, Mike Christian and Mel Greig, faced major backlash after Saldanha's death. Credit: Supplied Christian has also said that the prank breached the Australian Communication and Media Authority code of practice. Court documents say the delay in legal action being pursued was due to the broadcaster promising Christian that they would restore his reputation and rebuild his career. Christian's lawyers state the firm failed in this promise by not providing meaningful health support, not starting a public relations campaign to rebuild his brand, and failed to offer any opportunities or pay rises to reward his loyalty to the company. The legal action follows Christian being made redundant by SCA in February, which he alleges was not genuine as 'SCA still requires (his) former role to be performed'. Mike Christian filed the suit against SCA after his redundancy in February. Credit: Instagram / Michael Christian Michael Christian is seeking penalties, compensation for economic loss, and damages. Southern Cross Austereo has yet to respond to the lawsuit, which is awaiting a federal court date, but provided a short statement to media outlets regarding the case. 'As the matter is currently before the courts, and out of respect for the legal process and the privacy of those involved, it would be inappropriate for us to comment at this time,' a spokesperson for SCA said.
9 News
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- 9 News
Former radio host sues broadcaster over infamous 2012 royal prank
Your web browser is no longer supported. To improve your experience update it here A radio host who took part in a 2012 prank call to a London hospital where Kate Middleton was being treated is taking legal action against his former employer. Michael Christian and Mel Greig were presenting on 2Day FM, owned by Southern Cross Austereo, on December 4, 2012, when they made a call to King Edward VII hospital and obtained private medical information about the now-Princess of Wales. During the pre-recorded call, Christian and Greig impersonated King Charles III and Queen Elizabeth II. Former 2Day FM hosts Michael Christian and Mel Greig. (AAP) Jacintha Saldanha, the nurse who transferred the call, took her own life several days later. Christian is now suing SCA for physical and psychological distress and alleges he and his co-host Greig were "left exposed to relentless public vitriol, harassment and abuse" following Saldanha's death. Christian started as a presenter on Sydney's 2Day FM just two days before the incident. He alleges the pair initially objected to making the call and then to broadcasting the recording, however said their concerns fell on deaf ears. "The radio presenters were hung out to dry by SCA as the convenient fall guys and scapegoats," Christian's legal team Harmers Workplace Lawyers said in a statement. "Michael continues to suffer severe mental health issues as a result of the continuing public backlash, all these years later." His lawyers allege Christian's career suffered as a result of the backlash. Christian and Greig on A Current Affair. (ACA) He claims his employers assured him the broadcaster would help restore his reputation and rebuild his career. The former host alleges SCA instead "marginalised" him, blocked him from major presenting opportunities and prevented him from speaking about the royal prank. "As a naive 26-year-old, he believed them, that he would be looked after, and so did not take legal action. He was wrong," his lawyers said. Until now, Christian has never spoken publicly about what happened behind the scenes of the prank call. Christian left SCA in February after his employment was terminated and alleges he was asked to sign a legal deed to prevent him from speaking out, which he refused. He is suing the media giant under the Fair Work Act, the Corporations Act as a whistleblower and under the Common Law Act for breach of contract. The matter has not yet appeared before the Federal Court. In a statement to Southern Cross Austereo said: "As the matter is currently before the courts, and out of respect for the legal process and the privacy of those involved, it would be inappropriate for us to comment at this time." Nine, the owner of this masthead, owns radio assets 3AW, 2GB, 4BC and 6PR. Readers seeking support can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or beyond blue on 1300 22 4636. media Australia Radio national Royals CONTACT US Auto news: Jaguar continues testing with controversial looks.
